Salmon Cakes
One thing I always point out to clients while filleting salmon is how much usable meat is on the carcass after the fillets are removed. I use a large metal spoon and scrape the carcass to remove all of the meat on the fish into a bowl. My favorite use of the scraped meat is to make salmon patties. You can put these patties on a bun for delicious fish burgers, or eat them as an appetizer in smaller patties or as a main-course protein with the dipping sauce. They are very simple and fast to make. Substitute salmon fillets for the scraped carcass meat if you are not filleting fish. I add butter to oil in the frying process to produce a rich and delicious finished product. However, you need to be aware that as the oil and butter heat up, there will typically be some popping and splattering, so it’s a good idea to use a splatter screen. Don’t forget the sauce to accompany these delicious salmon patties!
Ingredients
2 pounds of scraped carcass meat from salmon or 2 pounds of salmon filets, diced in centimeter cubes
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
Lemon juice from about ⅓ of a lemon
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 ¼ cup panko
4–6 green onions, diced finely (both the whites and greens)
¼ cup or full stick of butter for frying
½ cup canola or vegetable oil for frying
Sauce
½ cup whole-fat Greek yogurt
⅓ cup mayonnaise
Juice from ⅓ lemon
1 tablespoon capers
2–3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium dill pickle, finely chopped or 2 ½ tablespoons
1 tablespoon fresh dill
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Directions
After filleting a salmon, use a large metal spoon to scrape the collar and carcass of all meat left on the bones. If you are using salmon filets bought at the store, dice the meat in small chunks, about ½ inch by ½ inch.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the salmon meat, eggs, Old Bay, green onions, and lemon juice. Make sure it is all well incorporated before adding the bread crumbs and panko. Fold in panko and bread crumbs without over-mixing. Form into patties roughly ½ inch thick and 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Makes approximately 12–14 patties.
Sauce
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, capers, crushed garlic, chopped dill pickles, chopped fresh dill, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard.
In a large skillet, melt butter and heat it with the oil over medium heat to 300 F. Once butter and oil are hot, lay the first batch of salmon patties in the skillet and fry until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the cooked patties from the pan and place them on a plate lined with a couple of layers of paper towels to catch the additional oil.
Serve with the sauce.